Jamaican Easter Spice Bun
Warm holiday spices, soft bread, and dried fruit come together in the popular Jamaican Easter spice bun. Absolutely delightful any time of year, so why wait for Easter?
Easter is the time of the year when Christians abstain from meat and flock towards bread, vegetarian goods, and fish. I’m happy to say I’m one of those Christians. When I was growing up, the Lenten Season, especially on Fridays, was a time we consumed bread and water until sunset. Hot cross buns were reserved for Good Friday, and my siblings and I waited for them impatiently. It was the highlight of our celebration.
Gosh! I miss those days… I always have a fondness for spiced bread, and this recipe takes the cake. The good thing is that we can enjoy it year-round. However, it’s extra special, sweeter, and studded with dried fruit for Lent, especially on Good Friday. This is the sweeter, denser Jamaican take on the ever-popular hot cross bun.
You can find as many different adaptations to the classic recipe as there are cooks – made with or without yeast. I’m ashamed to say I totally went overboard, trying different variations, and they’re ALL worth making at home.
Using Guinness Stout
My preferred version has a modern twist — Guinness — substituting some of the liquid ingredients with something more complex. Stout (a darker, more intense beer) gives it an incredibly rich brown color. The image below is sans Guinness, and you’ll notice it has a lighter color.
For those who’ve never baked with Guinness, you’re in for a treat! Its complexity definitely adds depth of flavor to baked goods with mild notes of cocoa and a strong malt flavor. The bread will not taste like beer.
How to Make Spice Bun Bread
- Mix the sugars and wet ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients and toss the dried fruit in, then mix the wet and dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan, add the cherries on top if desired, and bake. Make a pot of coffee, slice up some sharp cheddar cheese, and enjoy!!!
Easter Spice Bun Variations
This unique bun studded with dried fruit takes about 15 minutes to prep. Wonderfully fragrant spices from nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, with molasses and browning sauce, make quite a flavorful loaf. Here are some popular variations.
- Replace the baking powder with a packet of yeast and let it rise in a warm place for the traditional airy texture.
- Personalize the dried fruit mixture or leave it out completely. Raisins, prunes, dates, figs, apricots, apples, peaches, pears, pineapple, cherries, mango, papaya, and kiwifruit are just some fruits on a long list that go well in this recipe. I didn’t include cranberries, blueberries, or strawberries because something about the sound of them doesn’t match the spice blend.
- Make it with or without Guinness stout. If you can’t get it, any stout will work. Another quick substitute is the same amount of root beer or cola, then halve the sugar to compensate for the extra sweetness. Coffee also adds bitterness and color if you can’t get stout or don’t want alcohol in the house.
- For a vegan twist, replace the egg with a tablespoon of ground flax or chia seeds and a tablespoon of water.
- Increase the spices for more intensity or reduce them for a milder bread.
- Brush the finished spice bun with a rum glaze for extra indulgence.
Tips and Notes
- Browning sauce is a Caribbean seasoning used to darken sauces, stews, meat, and even baked goods. If you prefer a lighter bread, then cut back on the browning sauce or eliminate it completely.
- While spice buns are traditionally made in a loaf pan because the batter has too much liquid to make buns with it, you can fill the wells of a muffin tin for cute little cupcakes. Simply reduce the baking time by half.
What to Serve With Jamaican Easter Spice Bun
Traditionally, spice buns are served with sharp cheddar cheese to balance the sweetness. If you’ve ever had cheese on apple pie, you know what I’m talking about. Then brew up some coffee or tea, put out the butter and jam (or an avocado), and you have a breakfast or snack fit for a king.
More Sweet Easter Delights to Try
If you’re looking for light, airy hot cross buns, I’ve got you covered, along with more tasty sweets to enjoy.
- Hot Cross Buns
- Italian Easter Egg Bread
- Challah
- Tea Cakes (top them with jelly beans before baking for a quick Easter treat)
- Hummingbird Cake
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”4acyCzvg” upload-date=”2019-04-01T04:00:06.000Z” name=”Jamaican Easter Spice Bun” description=”Jamaican Easter Spice Bun — Highly Spiced Jamaican bread, soft, tender studded with raisins and fruits . Absolutely delightful anytime!”]
This blog post was originally published in February 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Jamaican Easter Spiced Bun
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (85g) honey
- 1 teaspoon (5g) browning sauce
- ½ tablespoon (9g) molasses
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (236ml) Guinness stout
- 1 egg
- 1 cup (170g) dried fruit (cherries, raisins, apricots, etc.)
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- ½ tablespoon (4-5g) ground cinnamon
- 2½ teaspoons (4g) Easter spice blend (1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¾ teaspoon allspice)
- 4 tablespoons (60g) melted butter
- 1 cup (120g) candied cherries (or fresh, frozen, maraschino, canned, etc.- optional to top the bun)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Grease a loaf pan with baking spray, and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey, browning sauce, molasses, vanilla extract, Guinness stout, and an egg until combined.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Then toss in the dried fruit, making sure the fruit is coated with flour and doesn’t stick together.
- Then mix the wet and dry ingredients until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you mix to make sure all the flour has been incorporated. Add the melted (or softened) butter and stir well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the cherries if you want, and bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool before removing it from the pan. Optionally brush it with a sugar or rum glaze, slice, and enjoy. Enjoy!!!
Tips & Notes:
- Have the wet ingredients at room temperature for easier, smoother mixing.
- Toss the dried fruit in the dry ingredients (break up any clumps) before mixing the batter so they stay evenly distributed and don’t stick together.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the ingredients used in the recipe.
I was wondering can we bake it in cupcake size and what um would you recommend for time and temperature of oven?
Hi Nicole. I have never tried this recipe as a cupcake recipe, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Bake it at 350°F for 15 – 20 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Hope this helps!
What about using Dark Jamaican Rum instead of Guiness>
Hi Leo. I don’t think that would work for this recipe as the alcoholic percentage and texture are very different.
My Jamaican husband and all his siblings have given raving reviews on many occasions as I discovered, tried, and stuck with your recipe! I make this bun for my husband often since it’s so popular I never felt the need to try another. Thank you so much!
Hi Natalie, thanks so much for your kind words. It makes me super happy when my recipes are a hit:)
What can i use in place of Guinness Stout? Something non alcoholic
Guinness 0.0 is non-alcoholic version of the Stout, and it’s supposed to taste about the same. But honestly, I think your fave non-alcoholic beer should work.
Great recipe, fam loved it!
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I made this for my Jamaican boyfriend this Easter and he was so excited about it he sent pictures to his mom and said it was better than the kind he ate back home. It was so nice to see the pure joy on his face when he took a bite & we’re going to be using this recipe every year. Thank you!!
Oh my god, thank you so much for such warm feedback. Happy Easter and have wonderful life with my recipes 🙂
This recipe is super! I’ve used it several times. So accurate to give an excellent Jamaican experience.
Thank you:) There’s more to come, so stay tuned
Hi, what size loaf pan do I need ?
A standard loaf pan is 5″x9″ or 8.5″x4.5″. Either one should work for this recipe. Hope that helps:)
This is the real thing! The Easter bun I remember from childhood in Jamaica! Cool overnight for best flavor and enjoy with butter or orange cheese.
Thank you:) There’s more to come, so stay tuned
This recipe is easy to make and delicious! I made it for my Jamaican husband as it’s hard for us to find Spice bun where we live and it’s expensive to order. He was surprised and delighted. (I’m American lol) Thank you for this recipe!
Amazing to hear your story. We have so many other Jamaican recipes which can help to amaze and surprise your husband. I must say to try those for sure. Thanks for your love!!!
Your recipe was so easy to follow, I will definitely check out your other Jamaican recipes!! Thank you! ❤️
Thank you Shannon. Much Love!
Easy to make and taste good
Great! Thanks so much
I am about to make this can I leave out the egg
Alright, Share your experience once you try. I am sure it would be great. Thank you
This cake is so yummy. A great alternative to hot cross buns. My Carribean friends were talking about Easter bun so I thought I would look it up.
Yeah, that would be a great fit for easter. Cheers!!!
i love this recipe and is so easy. Thank you for sharing
Amazing to hear about your experience!!! Thank you
Hello, I really wanna try this for Easter, but I’m in Portugal and I would like to know if it can be done without “Browning” sauce. Thank you!
Yes it can.
Best recipe for Jamaican spiced Bun I have found. The finished product taste just like the bun I grew up eating.
Note. I used 1/2 cup of Holiday Fruit(Co.Paradise)1/4 cup raisins. I added Cherries to top like the picture. I also glazed it.( glaze 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup water simmer until glaze consistency) brush on top of bun and return to oven about 3to 5 minutes.
Thank you for stopping by, Chelsie, and for sharing your method. I’m glad you like this.
This was my 2nd attempt (your recipe was the 2nd) and better choice. I’m Dominican and my husband was raised in a Jamaican household. He loved it !
Woohoo! Thank you so much, Shiv! 🙂
I made this and it came out perfect
Yay! Glad to know, Fleur! Thank you for making this 🙂
This recipe was so easy to make and my bun was amazing. everyone loved it! Thank you so much.
Thank you, Marcia!
I tried this recipe and enjoyed the delicious bun.
Thank you, Bernice!
Seriously love, love, love this recipe!!!! Simple & easy to follow with the scrumdeliocious reward and the end. Tried this recipe for the first time on Good Friday, multiplied the ingredients by 4 so that i could share with family. My new favourite Spiced bun recipe. THANK YOU IMMACULATE BITES!!!!!!!
And thank YOU, Simone!!